RE: Golf GTI Edition 30 - Final Report
Wednesday 7th May 2008
At the time I’d managed to quickly push it to the back of my mind. The sad truth is that the PH Golf GTI was only being lent to us for three months, but at the time, three months ago, it seemed like a long way away. This morning the man from VW came to take LUO away so despite the sun shining outside it feels a little gloomy. The trouble is, at almost dead-on 5,000 miles I felt like I was starting to really get to know the car, but that in a way was a double-edged sword. As much as I liked the Golf after spending a few months with it a few niggles began to surface.
The turbocharged 2.0-litre Golf is not a slow car by any standards (0-60mph in 6.8 seconds) and it has very little lag, but to really get the best of it you need to keep the revs up. Once the turbo is making that pleasing whooshing sound and the revs are building you are treated to plenty of thrust, and that’s just fine. But you can be caught out at the traffic light grand prix unless you dial in a decent amount of revs, as the engine will take a mille-second to realise you’ve pressed the big chrome pedal on the right. I couple of times recently I have been momentarily left by such machinery as a V5 MK4 Golf, but only momentarily, before the turbo kicks in and the Edition 30 regains its self-respect. On B-roads too you have to keep the car over 4,000rpm to make good progress, and in day-to-day driving this can take a bit more concentration than you would like.
Also, I was amazed the other day when I stepped from the PH Hero Integra Type-R into the Golf – it felt like I was driving an MPV. LUO felt massive – high and bulky – but when I took it down the same roads as the Integra it felt just as quick, and almost as much fun. Last weekend it bumped into its older relative, a Mark 2 GTI that is owned by my brother who tells me that in between changing his floorboards, buying a new mountain bike, getting a new flea collar for the cat and keeping his E30 Touring on the road, he will get it back on the road. From the picture it looks like the cars weren’t lined up properly, but in fact they were and the MK5 is that much wider. The wheels on the MK2 are 17s as well and when my bro bought the car they looked huge. The Edition 30 rides on 18” wheels and they look a bit small. The other big thing about the Golf is the price. The basic price of the Edition 30 was £23,045, but then add on the (very good) sat nav, headlight washers, rear side airbags, and a few other bits and you are looking at over £25,000 for a Golf GTI. And that doesn’t include full leather seats.
Add to this reasonably good depreciation, good quality and, from what I’ve heard, reliability, and you realise that the GTI is a fantastic package and a great ownership proposition.
Golf GTI Edition 30 - Final Report
It's time to say goodbye to the PH GTI...
So would I buy one if I was looking for a car in this price-range? In short, yes. LUO may not be to everyone’s taste but to me it looks fantastic. It is understated, but purposeful, a hot hatch that oozes class – everyone I know likes the look of it. Over here at PH we try not to use the ‘P’ word too much (practicality) but you do appreciate how well the Golf balances being a roomy five-seater that is comfortable and easy to use in town, but with its obvious sporting talents. The interior is decent, the touch screen navigation/radio system works great and sounds excellent. Even though the ride is firm the pay-off is when you take the car to your favourite road, body control is tight and for a big hatch (even more surprising is it’s a Golf, if the last few are anything to go by) steering feel is good and it feels suitably focused. Take the traction control off, which I like to do more and more, and the car is even more satisfying, although things can get a bit wayward, especially in the wet. You still need to keep the revs up if you are going to attack a corner, but get it right and the Golf grips well and carries impressive speed.
So it will be strange tonight not to have the Golf, but the good news is that another car is on order. Again a hatchback, but it probably couldn’t be more different to LUO. Should be interesting…
Discussion
Journo type said:
But you can be caught out at the traffic light grand prix unless you dial in a decent amount of revs, as the engine will take a mille-second to realise you’ve pressed the big chrome pedal on the right. I couple of times recently I have been momentarily left by such machinery as a V5 MK4 Golf
Traffic light GP? No, really? That's so juvenile.I've only had my ED30 for a month now but have to say its working it's way into my affections easily. I've put just over 1000 miles onto her so the engine is still yet to produce its best but seems quick enough. I'm only returning around mid 20's on the MPG side so hopefully this will improve. Its seems VW have work wounders with the ride for such a great handeling car.
i owned one for a year and have to say i was a bit disapointed with it.
technically, it was brilliant. Good build, very refined.... but the car just never got under my skin.... it was just... too german.
The DSG was a bit too smooth for its own good, and i thought it robbed the car of some of its character. If i ws buying again, i'd take a manual.
Also, anyone taken one of these on a trackday?
i had mine round Oulton Park and wasn't impressed, the set-up felt too soft to ever make an impression on track.
I swapped it for a Megane R26 now, which although not as well made, has character in abundance and is generally miles more fun to drive.
and it performs much better on track too!
technically, it was brilliant. Good build, very refined.... but the car just never got under my skin.... it was just... too german.
The DSG was a bit too smooth for its own good, and i thought it robbed the car of some of its character. If i ws buying again, i'd take a manual.
Also, anyone taken one of these on a trackday?
i had mine round Oulton Park and wasn't impressed, the set-up felt too soft to ever make an impression on track.
I swapped it for a Megane R26 now, which although not as well made, has character in abundance and is generally miles more fun to drive.
and it performs much better on track too!
ikonic said:
i owned one for a year and have to say i was a bit disapointed with it.
technically, it was brilliant. Good build, very refined.... but the car just never got under my skin.... it was just... too german.
The DSG was a bit too smooth for its own good, and i thought it robbed the car of some of its character. If i ws buying again, i'd take a manual.
Also, anyone taken one of these on a trackday?
i had mine round Oulton Park and wasn't impressed, the set-up felt too soft to ever make an impression on track.
I swapped it for a Megane R26 now, which although not as well made, has character in abundance and is generally miles more fun to drive.
and it performs much better on track too!
I often "borrow" a good friend's R26 F1 and I'm not so keen - I guess its personal, but I just think its a bit soul-less compared with the Golf - I'm 100% sure its faster (than a standard GTI -30bhp diff) and it looks great but I found the brakes too ferocious, the handling grippy but un-involving and the exhuast note to be really dull - Both the renault and Golf are great and certainly nicer prospects than a VXR (tasty looker though!) I guess the only thing I'd consider over the those 2 is the Focus RS - I simply adore the old Volvo T5 engine in em' technically, it was brilliant. Good build, very refined.... but the car just never got under my skin.... it was just... too german.
The DSG was a bit too smooth for its own good, and i thought it robbed the car of some of its character. If i ws buying again, i'd take a manual.
Also, anyone taken one of these on a trackday?
i had mine round Oulton Park and wasn't impressed, the set-up felt too soft to ever make an impression on track.
I swapped it for a Megane R26 now, which although not as well made, has character in abundance and is generally miles more fun to drive.
and it performs much better on track too!
Had the wife's now for about 3 months, and I have to stay to start with I thought it was pretty awful. She'd opted for the DSG box which I'd never used before and it just seemed like a glorified auto box, don't get me wrong it was quick but just didn't excite me. Especially compared with the Z4 coupe or even the mini cooper before that. However I've driven it much more over the last month or so, and it's slowly getting there, or rather I'm learning how to drive it, to get the best out of it, and by golly its even quicker than I thought - actually stupidly quick for a five door hatch - but I'm not for one minute suggesting that's a bad thing. I have a 12 mile B road drive to the station each morning, at 5:30am there's nothing on the road, with the mini every journey was like a rally and I always arrived at the station with a grin on my face. I'm not quite there with the ed30 yet but it's getting there. I've had some stonking drives and overtakes where I've though there's a gap in two cars time, only to get there and realise I can get round the rest too. So I echo oli's thoughts I think, it just needs to be driven.
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